Portable refrigerator



Nov. 23, 1948. r M. BRODHEIM 2,454,303

' PORTABLE REFRIGERATOR I Filed Dec. 4, 1945 E 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gangs? j/706/7707" jyorrl Blvd/150w,

Iii/ways Patented Nov. 23, 1948 U N ES FICE;

ronmnnnnnrmomaron v MorrisBrodlieim. Philadelphia, Pa.

Application December: 4, 1945,.SerialNo. 63.23593;

This invention relates. tel portableiicei refrigerators, and more particularly to a refrigerator. adapted to becarried in:theireartrunk-compartment of an automobile.

A main object of the invention istmpnovideal. novel and improvediportable refrigerator which is very simple in structure, efficientxin food storage arrangement, and readily accessible for place ing food therein or removing foodtherefrom.

A. further objectof the invention is to provide an improved portable refrigerator adaptedtobe: carried in the' rear trunk compartment. of an automobile. said refrigerator being internally. xarranged for very efficient utilization of. cold alt: currents from itsice chamber for maintaining a. low temperature in its food compartments.

Further objects and advantages" of the invention will become apparentfromthefollowing description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings,,wherein;

Figure l is a front elevational view of a portable refrigerator in accordance with the present.

invention. 1

Figure 2 is a rear elevationall view of: the refrigerator of- Figure l. 1

Figure 3 isa longitudinal vertical crossmectional view of the refrigerator of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional View of the refrigerator of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a detail view of a portion of the door frame of the refrigerator of Figure 1 taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, H designates the refrigerator housing which is generally rectangular in shape and is formed with a sloping upper longitudinal portion [2 adapted to provide clearance for the door of the rear trunk compartment of an automobile. The edge portions of the housing 1 I are reinforced and protected against abrasion by metal guard strips l3 which may be chromium plated to improve the appearance of the unit. The walls of housing II are filled with suitable thermal insulating material such as pressed cork.

Provided centrally of the front Wall l4 of housing H is a large door [5 hinged at I6, [6 to wall I4 and provided with a door latch [1. Door I5 is thermally insulated in the same manner as the housing walls. A metal door frame I8 is pro-' vided for receiving the door l5, and positioned in frame [8 adjacent hinges I6, iii are a pair of switches l9 and 20 which are arranged to close their contacts responsive to the opening of door acaims- (01. 62-31)..

it. but. which are. maintained in circui ropenins. position when. door l5 is-closed' Positioned; in. the.- rear wall 21 of housing U are a. pair of. recessed maleplug membersil and 23-. Manni ed. on; the. inner walla surface of, sloping. portion.

12 are a pair of. lampslkand. 2.5; lamp. being;

a six-volt lamp and connected. in circuit. with switch: l8. and plug; member. 2 and. lamp 25 bein awlilfl-voit lampiconuectedl in circuit with. switch 20 andplug m mben i, When t area friserator is. used.- in' the rear. trunk. compar mentof an. automobile. plug member .22 onnected: to the automobile.- batterv, wher by lama id isenergized when: door lids opened- When the refrieeratoris usadinan apartment n other location where 1-10 volt lighting; current. avail able. plug member. 231s connected to the; 119 volt powers supply. hcrebylamplfimill bannersized-when door .lfiisopened.

The. interior of housin M: is d vi ed ntothree ccmpartmenta. there. being a firstzice compartment 26 at one end portion ofthe housin a second. ice compartment 21 at the other. end-.ci thehousingganda uentral focdicomnartmcnt 28. Food: compartment; :taziszscnaratcd from ice compartmentiflfi by: ametal partition. 2-81 having. an upper 1 circulation. vent; 3B. a dal. lower circula ion vent 3i. Food compartment 28 is operated from ice compartment 21 by a metal partition 32 having an upper circulation vent 33 and a lower circulation vent 34. Each ice compartment contains an ice tank 35 having a top thermally insulated closure 36, corrugated side walls 31, 31 and a corrugated bottom Wall 38, said bottom wall being spaced above a drain tray 39 by support lugs 40 carried by the bottom wall of ice tank 35. The upper portions of the side walls of each ice tank 35 are formed with air vents 4|. Drain tray 39 is connected by a condit 42 with a spigot 43 mounted on the outer surface of front wall M. The top wall of housing H is provided with a closure 44 positioned above each ice tank 35 through which ice is placed in the ice tank.

Food compartment 28 contains a removable grating 45 defining a food shelf, said grating being about three quarters of the depth of the food compartment, thereby providing a space 46 at the forward portion of the food compartment for positioning tall articles such as bottles 48 therein. At the side portions of space 46 two spring clips 4|, 4| are provided for engaging the necks of bottles 48 to maintain them upright in space 46, said spring clips being welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the respective vertical partitions 29 and 32.

A pair of handles 41, 41 are secured to the end walls of housing II to facilitate transportation of the refrigerator from one location to another.

It will be noted that door I5 is arranged so that when it is opened access is easily had to all parts of the food compartment 28. Bottles, such as milk bottles 48, 48, are secured at the side portions of compartment 28 by spring clips 4|, 4| so that the rear portions of the compartment may be reached without removing the bottles. The spring clips 4|, 4| are so arranged that they act as stop means preventing tray 45 from sliding forwardly on its supporting flanges during motion of the automobile, whereas tray 451s formed with front, side and rear raised marginal abutment portions 49, preventing food from sliding off the tray.

While a specific embodiment of a portable refrigerator structure Aas seen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be linderstood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

' 1. A portable ice refrigerator, comprising a substantially rectangular housing of heat insulating material an upper longitudinal portion of said housing being inclined to define a sloping longitudinal surface, a first transverse partition wall positioned within said housing contiguous to and spaced from one end of the latter defining with the adjacent wall portions of the said housing a first ice compartment, a second transverse partition Wall positioned within said housing contiguous to and spaced from the other end of the latter defining with the adjacent wall portions of said housing a second ice compartment, each partition wall having a circulating opening in its upper portion and another opening in its lower portion, said partition walls and the intermediate wall portions of said housing defining a food storage space between them, an ice receptacle positioned in each ice compartment, means for supporting each ice receptacle in substantially spaced relation to the wall surfaces of its compartment, and a door for said food compartment, said door being located in a vertical longitudinal wall of the housing and being aligned with and substantially the same length as said food compartment.

2. A portable ice refrigerator, comprising a substantially rectangular housing of heat insulating material, an upper longitudinal portion of said housing being inclined to define a sloping longitudinal surface, a first transverse partition wall positioned within said housing contiguous to and spaced from one end of the latter defining with the adjacent wall portions of said housing a first ice compartment, a second transverse partition wall positioned within said housing contiguous to and spaced from the other end of the latter defining with the adjacent wall portions of said housing a second ice compartment, each partition wall having a circulating opening in its upper portion and another opening in its lower portion, said partition Walls and the intermediate wall portions of said housing defining a food storage space between them, a door for said food compartment, said door being located in the longitudinal wall of the housing below said inclined longitudinal upper portion and being aligned with and substantially coextensive with said food com partment, a horizontal tray removably mounted in said food compartment, and bottle engaging means secured to each of said transverse partitions, said bottle engaging means being located forwardly of and in the same horizontal plane as said tray.

MORRIS BRODHEIM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

